China's tight security apparatus has gone into overdrive as it braces for the country's World Cup debut on the same day as the 13th anniversary of the Tiananmen crackdown, activists and a rights group said yesterday.
The coincidence has sparked fears of unrest and led police to clamp down on dissidents ahead of today's anniversary of the military's brutal quashing of the 1989 pro-democracy protests.
Hundreds, possibly thousands, were killed when troops and tanks moved in to end six weeks of protests centered around Tiananmen Square in Beijing.
But political analysts believe World Cup fever will likely overshadow any memories of the Tiananmen crackdown.
Police in Guangzhou detained dissident Li Wensheng for seven hours Sunday after rejecting his request to hold a candlelight vigil with about 30 people to remember the victims of the massacre on June 4, 1989, a Hong Kong-based rights group said.
Two other dissidents were held Saturday. Both were Christians from Beijing and one of them was taken away by police along with his wife and two-year-old son, the Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy and relatives said.
Dissidents in Guangzhou, Bei-jing and other cities, meanwhile, have been warned against leaving their homes during the anniversary, the center and dissidents said.
Dissidents in Hunan, Shaanxi and Sichuan provinces said police seem to be on higher alert in the run-up to June 4 this year compared to previous years, the center said.
The anniversary coincides this year with China's first match in the World Cup finals, when millions of Chinese are set to tune in to watch China take on Costa Rica today.
Authorities fear spectators in Seoul might take the opportunity to protest against the 1989 crackdown in a gesture which could be seen by millions of TV viewers, said He Depu, a member of the outlawed China Democracy Party who is also being monitored.
The Ministry of the Interior (MOI) is to tighten rules for candidates running for public office, requiring them to declare that they do not hold a Chinese household registration or passport, and that they possess no other foreign citizenship. The requirement was set out in a draft amendment to the Enforcement Rules of the Public Officials Election and Recall Act (公職人員選舉罷免法 ) released by the ministry on Thursday. Under the proposal, candidates would need to make the declaration when submitting their registration forms, which would be published in the official election bulletin. The move follows the removal of several elected officials who were
The Republic of China (ROC) is celebrating its 114th Double Ten National Day today, featuring military parades and a variety of performances and speeches in front of the Presidential Office in Taipei. The Taiwan Taiko Association opened the celebrations with a 100-drummer performance, including young percussionists. As per tradition, an air force Mirage 2000 fighter jet flew over the Presidential Office as a part of the performance. The Honor Guards of the ROC and its marching band also heralded in a military parade. Students from Taichung's Shin Min High School then followed with a colorful performance using floral imagery to represent Taiwan's alternate name
FOUR DESIGNATED AREAS: Notices were issued for live-fire exercises in waters south and northwest of Penghu, northeast of Keelung and west of Kaohsiung, they said The military is planning three major annual exercises across the army, navy and air force this month, with the navy’s “Hai Chiang” (海強, “Sea Strong”) drills running from today through Thursday, the Ministry of National Defense said yesterday. The Hai Chiang exercise, which is to take place in waters surrounding Taiwan, would feature P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft and S-70C anti-submarine helicopters, the ministry said, adding that the drills aim to bolster the nation’s offshore defensive capabilities. China has intensified military and psychological pressure against Taiwan, repeatedly sending warplanes and vessels into areas near the nation’s air defense identification zone and across
A Chinese takeover of Taiwan would severely threaten the national security of the US, Japan, the Philippines and other nations, while global economic losses could reach US$10 trillion, National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Lin Fei-fan (林飛帆) wrote in an article published yesterday in Foreign Affairs. “The future of Taiwan is not merely a regional concern; it is a test of whether the international order can withstand the pressure of authoritarian expansionism,” Lin wrote in the article titled “Taiwan’s Plan for Peace Through Strength — How Investments in Resilience Can Deter Beijing.” Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) intent to take Taiwan by force
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